Topic: LOS: unused locations (spoilers I guess)

[Richter]

So in Lords of Shadows, you actually get a lot of game play and level variety - but there still seemed like a few unused areas. One that sticks out is that kind of purple crystal cave that leads up to the Titan Graveyard... it's a whole environment that looked quite good just used for a short bit of climbing. I guess the clock tower could have been expanded too. Anything else ?

[Vrakanox]

That purple cave was one of the coolest parts of the whole game. When I got there I thought I'd be descending into some kind of dark abyss. Then I climbed out into the peaceful majestic land of the skeletons. 

[bobby digital]

I really wish that whole area looked more like the concept art for the stage.

(click to show/hide)

If you look at the artwork for that chapter (if someone could post it here it'd be nice) you see a barren land filled with gravestones on the way to the final area.  If they could've captured the mood of those images better I would've easily enjoyed that area even more (not that I didn't already!)
EDIT: found them

The environment artwork is gorgeous.  Makes me wonder what a XBL/PSN 2D game with graphics styled in that manner instead of realism would be like.

[Wallachia]

The art for the epiloge movie, in the church modern day, Drac's throne and all that.. just awesome! I have a hunch it's all designed for LoS2, and they couldn't help but blow their load a bit and show it at the end of this game.. notice how the CG style is different too? Weird..

[Richter]

Another strange one - why is the Ice Titan sat next to Pan's Forest? There are plenty of other snowy locales that make sense because you travel north to Vampire town... but this? Is it just a magical lake or what?

[thernz]

it is the lake of the dead. it is frostbitten in DEATH.

[Richter]

Magic lake, gotcha 

Personally I would have loved the rainy village at the start to have been expanded, lots of good atmosphere. The clock tower should have been longer too. Also the music box could have been more than a puzzle? Maybe have an actual level based in there once you solve it. I like the design work, some of it should have been used some more.

[bobby digital]

Another strange one - why is the Ice Titan sat next to Pan's Forest? There are plenty of other snowy locales that make sense because you travel north to Vampire town... but this? Is it just a magical lake or what?

If you look at the map, the lake is actually well above Pan's forest in the mountains.

[corneliab]

I would've loved to see some of the areas expanded on. The forest area before Pan and the first part of the Titans Graveyard were spectacular, but you're only in there very briefly. The forest in particular was almost completely void of actual gameplay.

[Thunderbrand]

I kind of want more of the castle itself. The castle is massive and is gorgeously designed, especially the exterior (though I didn't like the layout that much---as I've said many times it seemed too much like Drac's castle in the Van Helsing movie). I wish more time was spent there though. I'm glad we get to go back there in the DLC.

The forest itself was pretty neat---that's when it REALLY started feeling like a CV. And that final scene in Chap 5-1 when you turn the corner and see the castle for the first time and the music changes & you run down the snowy path---that was just EPIC. Hopefully more stuff like that occurs in the DLC and the sequel.

[Ahasverus]

I would like to see more of the Lycan's land. And no, not Agharta, but the actual Lycan Realm, I thought that Aghrata was too happy to be the home of the lycan Master, the transition between that city and "The three towers" was not clear so I would like to see it expanded.
The Castle was of course underused but it made sense why, Drac's not there yet so the Castle was in his "primitive form", I can't wait to see how chaos transforms the Castle into a maze, I'm sure MS will make a great tale there.

And I also think we all can agree on how EPIC was the first sight at the Castle... it was so... unexpected... I mean, you were fighting chupacabras and orcs one second before they are the anthitesis of epic, then you turn around and OMFG the music changes and you see a MONSTER FUCKING CASTLE larger than life and with the classic "vortex at the top"; then you run to it but you just don't come close, it's collossal in itself.
No, that's how you design the Demon castle.

[ShinAkumaXX]

I knew I wasn't the only person sad about the area before the Ice Titan not turning out to be a level! That graveyard art does look pretty bad ass! Yeah, considering the clock tower is such a staple in most CVania's it did seem a bit short too. The clock towers are always so daunting in the 2D ones for me. That area before the Titan Graveyard looked pretty wild, but from what I remember it was very brief, you just climb up out of it real quick. Still it was plenty long for a CV. I suppose maybe they had to cut some stuff out, I wonder if some of those levels were expanded on then chopped? Everything was lovely short or long. Can't wait to see more. That was pretty sweet at the end when you see Slogra.

[Thunderbrand]

I may be in the minority here but I didn't think the clock tower was THAT short. I thought it was just about the right length & time it took to get through it. The jumping on platforms & gears (and the numerous times I fell to my death) was a good homage to the old games IMHO.

And I totally agree with what Ahasverus said about seeing the castle the 1st time. I knew it was coming at the end of that level but I didn't expect it to happen quite the way it did. I mean here I was smashing through a wall in a Goblin camp, and I'm walking down some path between mountains. I turn around a corner and...THERE...IT...WAS. And the music changing...that bell sound at the very beginning of whatever music track that is...just so awesome. I stood there just watching the vortex/castle/snow for a lonnnnnng time before running down the path to finish the level. That scene is just amazing. Still my fav part of LoS.

PS---anyone know what that music track mentioned above is?

[corneliab]

The Clock Tower IS short. Compare it to Legacy of Darkness' clock tower, which is more than a decade old.

[Ahasverus]

Clock tower? Who said it was the clock tower?
Last time I checked it was called GEAR tower.